Distilling bitumen



July 26, 1932. G. EGLOFF DISTILLING BITUMEN Original Filed lDec.

N .MIF fh m l 1 Patented `Fully 26, .1.932

UNITED STATES PATENTA o GUs'rAv EGLOFF, or CIIICAGo, ILLIIvoIs, AssIGNon To UNIVERSAL oIL rnonucrs COMPANY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A COREORATION 0E SOUTH ID`A\KOTA.

'LIsTI'LLINe BITUMEN Application mea December 18; i925, serial No.`7e,17o. Renewed october?, i929.

` This invention relates to aprocess of distilling bitumens, and refers more particularly toa process of removing from bituminous materials of a solid or semi-solid nature, as for example, coal tars, natural or artificial asphalts, shale, peat or the like, the hydrocarbonaceous constituents contained therein.

Another feature of this invention is. to produce a very large quantity of .xed or incondensable gases suitable for industrial pur-u oses. p The invention yis characterized by subjecting such bituminous material to the action .of highly heated petroleum oil, while at the same time subjecting thematerial to the action of air, which air serves to promote direct combustionwin the chamber containing the bituminous materials.. i

Inl order vto understand the process, I have shown the accompanying drawing, in which the single igure is a somewhat diagrammatic sideelevational view, partly inv vertical 'section, showing an apparatus suitable for practicing the process. A

' Referring to thev drawing, 1 represents aV furnace inwhich is mounted a heating c oil 2.

The petroleum oil 'is fed tothe inlet side of i the lcoil through the `feed line 3 havingl a throttle valve 4 connected to feed line 5 leading toiany suitable source ofsupply,v as for -1' instance, a charging tank containing patroleum oil or fuel eiL` The oil passes from the coil through the transfer line 6 controlled by the throttle valve 7 into the treating chamber 8, which chamber 8 is provided with manholes 9 and. 10, liquid drawof 11 controlled by throttle valve 12, and is interiorly insulated as shown at 13. Thevaporspass out ofthe chamber 8 through the vapor line 14:/` conf trolled by the throttle valvel 15 into the lower part of the dephlegmator 16. The reliux condensate mayfpass out through the pipe 17 and bymeans of pump 18 'to the feed line 3.- The pump18 may beby-passed through the bypass 19 by suitably controlling the valves-20,

21 and 22. lThe vapors pass out of the'fsystem through the pipe 23 controlled by,..fthe

'valve 25, to the water condenser 24i'and to the receiver 26, which receiver is provided with l. gas outlet pipe 27 having throttle valve 28 and liquid drawoii:` pipe 29 having a throttle throttle valve 32, to which pipe `is connected the air pump 33. The upper end of the pipe is provided with a spaced cover 34, the arrangement being such as to permit the air to readily enter the chamber 8 but prevent the 'oil constituents from dropping back into and choking up the'pipe. The'purpose of introducing air into the chamber is to cause internal combustion of part of the bituminous FEICE valve 30. A vacuum pump 27 -is connected,

and petroleum material. The action ofithe air is not only to Y romote combustion Iand thus facilitate crac ing, but more particularly to facilitate cracking towards the gas stage, and produce substantial ,quantities of fixed gases. Y f.

The chamber 8 is charged lw'ith bituminous material of anyfsuitableicharacter such ashas been heretofore mentioned, and the petroleum oil as for example, 'fuel coil, ,is pumped through'the coil 2 where it is heated to a transfer temperature in the line 6 of say 800v F. more or less. This hot oil; passes to the chamber 8 where it comes into intimate contact with thev bituminous material therein contained, and. dissolves outv some of the hydrocarbonaceous constituents thereof, and likewise distills such constituents. At the same time, air is introduced inregulated quantities, which `air combines with the hot petroleum oil and hot hydrocarbonaceous constituents of the bitumen to cause combustion, with the result' that certain portions fl such that the material'in the chamber 8 may be'heated to a temperature of say from 1000o to 1200 F. more or less.

As heretofore stated, the chamber 8 is internally insulated so as to withstand the n temperature conditions to which it is subjected.

The liquid material may be drawn off through the pipe 11 controlled by the valve 12, and the vapors pass out through the pipe 14: into the dephlegmator 16 Where the heavier portions are condensed, and may be returned to the system for further treatment` through the pump 18, or by-pass 19, or if desired, may be drawn off from the system through the line controlled by throttle valve 21.

yIn carrying out the process, a pressure of say 500 pounds more or less, may be maintained on the oil in the coil 2, While by suitably controlling the valve 7 ,a vacuum of from 15 to 28 inches may be maintained on the chamber 8 and the balance of the system. By means of this vacuum. the oil passing the coil 2 will have a tendency to very largely dash in the vapor line, thus increasing the tendency of the petroleum also to be cracked into substantial quantities of incondensable gas, particularly if the temperature in` the chamber 8 is maintained relatively high, say from 1000 to 1500 F.. and moveover, caused to travel a relatively long distance through the chamber 8. While I have shownlthischamber 8 as vertical, it might be horizontal.

By suitably controlling the vacuum and air pump, the amount o f vacuum interposed may be regulated at will. If desired, open ended pipes may be supplied for the air pump.

VIt is obvious that the temperaturesand pressures set forth may be varied, Within wide limits.

I claim as my invention:

1. A process for distilling bituminous materials of a solid or semi-solid nature which consists in charging a mass of the bituminous materials intov an enlarged zone, maintaining a zone of combustion in said mass, in separately heating a supply of hydrocarbon liquids to a temperature of substantially 800 degrees F. under a super-atmospheric pres- Sure, admitting the liquid hydrocarbons While at such temperature into the zone of combustion in said mass of bituminous material, continuously supplying regulated quantities ofair to the zone of combustion in said mass of bituminous material to effect a Acontrolled combustion thereof, in maintaining l. sub-atmospheric pressure on`said mass of weaves bituminous material and in recovering the vaporous constituents evolved therefrom.

2. A process for distilling bituminous materials of a solid or semi-solid nature which consists in charging a mass of the bituminous materials into an enlarged Zone, maintaining a zone of combustion in said mass, in separately heating a. supply of hydrocarbon liquids to a temperature of substantially 800 degrees F. under a super-atmospheric pressure, admitting' the liquid hydrocarbons While at such temperature into the zone of combustion in said mass of bituminous material, continuously supplying regulated quantities of air to the zone of combustion in said mass of bituminous material to effect a controlled combustion thereof, in maintaining a sub-atmospheric pressure on said mass of bituminous material, taking off vaporoiis constituents evolved from the hydrocarbon liquids and bituminous material in said enlarged zone, subiecting such vapors to a primary cooling to separate the higher boiling point fractions therefrom, and unitingl heavier fractions separated from such vaporous constituents as the result of said primary cooling with the hydrocarbon liquids undergoing treatment.

3. In the .art of recovering values from hydrocarbon sources, the' process which coinprises charging a chamber with solid hydrocarbon-bearing material, maintaining a zone of combustion within the material in the chamber, separately heating a hydrocarbon liquid under pressure to cracking temperature and subsequently introducing the same at cracking tempera-ture and without separation of vapors therefrom into said'zone ofv combustion in said solid material in said chamber, injecting regulated quantities of air into said zone of combustion simultaneously with the introduction of the heated hydrocarbon liquid thereto to effect partial combustion of the solids and fluids therein and to produce a substantial quantity of gas, removing vapors and gases from said chamber, and separating then vapors from the gases by condensation.

4. A process as defined in claim 3 further characterized in that said chamber is maintained under sub-atmospheric pressure.

5. In the art of recovering values from hydrocarbon sources, the process which comprises charging a chamber with solid hydrocarbon-bearing material, maintaining a zone of combustion within the material in the chamber, separately heating a hydrocarbon liquid under pressure to cracking temperature and subsequently introducing the same at cracking temperature and without separation of vapors therefrom into said zone of, combustion in said solid material in said chamber, injecting regulated quantities of air into said zone of combustion simultaneously with `the introduction of the heated hydrocarbon liquid thereto to elect partial combustion ofthe solids and fluids therein and to produce a substantial quantity7 of gas, removing vapo'rs and gases from said chamber and subjecting the same to dephlegmation to condense heavier fractions thereof as reflux condensate` utilizingr said reflux condensate as at least a part of said hydrocarbon liquid, and separately collecting the 10 gases produced in said chamber.

GUSTV EGLOFF. 

